Gas tube transformer and socket



June 7, 1932.

J. O. CADIEUX GAS TUBE TRANSFORMER AND SOCKET Filed Sept. ll, 1930 Arif/url lill a lamp tube.

.movino' and re )lacin f the lam is.

adapted to contain the transformer.

Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH O. CADIEUX, OF lfERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO CONNECTICUT TELE- PHONE ELECTRIC CORPORATION, OE MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE GAS TUBE TRANSFORMER AND SOCKET .Application led September 11, 1930. Serial No. 481,161.

invention relates particularly to apparatus for the use of electrically actuated lamps of the gas tube type employing transformers. The main object is to provide a simple compact arrangement of transformer and socket. In such constructions the voltage available is usually of the order of 100 to 200 volts and the lamps themselves require, as a usual thing, a very much higher voltage. The tubes being fragile and of a much shorter life than the transformers. it is highly desir. able that provision be made for readily re- I have aecordingly endeavored to arrange acombination of transformer and socket suitable for the use of such tubes. One object is to provide an inexpensive but compact device or this purpose. Another object is to provide a construction in which there is practically no possibility of short circuiting and a. minimum possibility of accidental engagement with the high-potential terminals.

In carrying out the invention I provide a housing preferably of insulating material This housing has embodied as a part of it sockets or clips adapted to lreceive the terminals of The contacting parts of the sockets are so protected or guarded that there is little possibility of accidental contact with them. Other advantages will appear fromk consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a device embodying my invention and showing a vlamp tube in place. f

Fig. 2 is a section and plan on the plane of the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of construction and showing the ends of the tube inserted in the sockets.

The transformer 5 may be of any suitable type having input leads 6 6 and output leads 7-7. This is enclosed in a housing preferably of insulating material and which may conveniently be made of the two parts 8 and 9, one of which serves as a holder orlbody portion and the other 'of which serves as a cover. The .transformermay be impregnated insertion ofthe ends ofthe tube 14, which contalus the luminous gas and' has electrodes 15 and external terminal portions 16. The ends of the tube are adapted to be plugged in to the clips orremoved as occasion may require.

To prevent accidental engagement With-the terminal clips,` I prefer to provide a guardplate 17, of insulating material, having openings 18 just large enough to permit the inser- `tion of the ends of the tube and yet small enough to prevent one from inserting his tingers or otherwise accidentally engaging the high potential clips.

It will be seen that this construction constitutes a self contained transformer and socket arrangement capable of servingas a lsupport for the gas tube. It Will be understood of course that the size and spacing vof the sockets 1.1, Will depend upon the size of the lamp tube and the spacing of the ends of the tube. The same transformer may be employed for different sizes of tubes by simply providing a cover, 9, having sockets of the proper size and spacing. Of course the openings 1'8 in the guard-plate, 17, should be dimensionedand spaced to correspond with the sockets.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 3, the sockets 11 project outwardly from the cover portion 9 of the housing and are provided With guard caps or rings 17.

rI he housing for the transformer can be conveniently formed of molded insulation, with the parts protected and secured together so as toA prevent leakage. It will be seen that the construction is simple and yet adords a convenient means for mounting a gas lamp tube. The invention permits of changes in the tube, for instance for the changel of. letter, signs, and so forth. Obviously a number of these small transformer socket units may be employed to build up any desired word or sign, each unit constituting a support and current supply for a single tube. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the use of tubes representing single letters but might be used with tubes which constitute words or other indicia.

l claim:

l'. A transformer and socket for gas tubes comprising a housing having spaced sockets open at one end, contact clips mounted in said sockets at their closed ends and adapted to hold the ends of an inserted tube, and a transformer in the housing having its output leads connected to said clips.

Q. The combination of a transformer, an insulating member at least partially enclosing the transformer, said member having spaced sockets open at their outer ends,'and spring terminal clips mounted on the inner ends of the sockets and electrically connected with the output leads of the transformer.

3. A transformer socket construction for gas lamps comprising a transformer, an insulating member having spaced pockets within the transformer and spring terminal clips mounted in the pockets at their lower ends and connected to the output leads of the transformer.

4. A transformer socketconstruction for gas lamps comprising a transformer, an insulating member having spaced pockets within the transformer and spring terminal clips mounted in the pockets at their lower ends and connected to the output leads of the transformer and means for guarding the clips in the pockets.

5. A device of the character'described consisting of a transformer formed with primary and secondary coils having molded insulating material therebetween, spaced pockets formed in said insulating ,material interiorly of said coils, the opened ends'of said pockets being substantially flush with the top of said coils and insulating material, an insulating member enclosing the top of said coils and insulating material and conforming to the shape of said pockets, a spring terminal clip mounted in each of said pockets on the bottom closed end thereof, means including an eyelet for connecting each of said clips to the output circuits of said secondary coils, and an insulating guard plate positioned over the opened ends of said pockets and provided with openings to permit the passage of the ends of an inserted tube. A

JOSEPH O. CADIEUX. 

